San Clemente Island Botany Project Manager

SDSU Research Foundation•San Diego, CA

17h•$27 - $27•Onsite

About The Position

The pay rate for this position is $26.50 per hour depending upon qualifications and is non-negotiable. SERG is a non-profit organization under the umbrella of the San Diego State University Research Foundation and is committed to restoring and preserving California’s sensitive vegetation communities for the benefit of the environment and the preservation of the ecosystem services they offer. SERG seeks one (1) Project Manager for habitat restoration, rare plant surveys, and other botany-related projects on San Clemente Island (SCI), a Naval installation on the southern-most of California’s Channel Islands. The Project Manager will work closely with the SCI Program Coordinator on all aspects of the program, as well as communicate with US Navy Biologists. This position requires arduous manual labor, working outdoors in all weather, heavy lifting and carrying, hiking on rugged terrain, as well as significant time spent on office tasks, such as writing technical reports. The Project Manager position will start on June 1 st , 2026, with some flexibility in the start date. This is a full-time, hourly position with full benefits. Compensation will be $26.50/hour plus a full benefits package. Housing is provided while working on San Clemente Island. Work schedule will be 10 days working on-island and 4-day weekends off-island. Housing is not provided during the 4-day weekends off-island. Transportation to and from the island is provided from the San Diego area by means of a twin engine 19-seater plane. Relocation benefits will not be offered. All work will be conducted on San Clemente Island, which is owned and operated by the U.S. Navy as an active training site, as part of the Navy’s Natural Resources Program. San Clemente Island has a particularly unique flora, hosting two federally listed plants, 20 plants that are known from nowhere else in the world, and an additional 12 plants that are only known from the Channel Islands as a whole. The program also supports an extensive community of biologists and researchers. Applicants should enjoy living as part of a small and remote community and be able to maintain a professional, positive attitude at all times.

Requirements

Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university.
One-year of experience in technical research or statistical work.
Ability to interact effectively with co-workers, sponsors, and other contractors
Ability to understand and follow posted work rules and procedures
Ability to relate well to others within the project environment
Ability to display motivation and strong interpersonal skills
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
Ability to display organization, meet deadlines, display detail orientation, and possess good judgment and common sense
Ability to demonstrate a high level of cross-cultural sensitivity
Valid driver’s license, good driving record, and ability to drive 4-wheel-drive vehicles
Ability to pass a background check to obtain clearance for military base access
Ability to repeatedly lift loads of up to 45 lbs. throughout the workday and to safely navigate and work off-trail on steep, rocky, cactus-covered terrain
Safety-minded
Rare plant survey experience
Vegetation monitoring experience
Experience with herbicide and willingness to apply it.
Skilled in plant identification
Knowledge of Southern California flora (Channel Islands preferred), especially coastal sage scrub, chaparral, canyon woodland, and dune ecosystems
Experience safely operating and maintaining mechanical equipment, hand tools, and herbicide application equipment
Valid California Qualified Applicator Certificate or ability to become certified within 6 months of hiring
Excellent writing skills with experience writing scientific progress reports
Demonstrated organizational skills to manage multiple, concurrent, high-priority project tasks
Detail-oriented and able to maintain and improve on established databases
People management experience
ArcGIS Pro experience or ability to learn and become proficient

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in botany, ecology, biology, or related discipline
Endangered plant survey experience
Experience managing invasive plant species
Experience with installation and maintenance of native outplantings
Greenhouse propagation and pest management experience
Experience creating and improving database organization
Experience with Microsoft Access or comparable database software
Experience maintaining and repairing small engines
Experience working in a remote field site
Experience hiring and managing staff

Responsibilities

Use principles of adaptive management to prioritize project tasks appropriately
Adhere to project schedules as outlined in annual work plans
Coordinate between SERG and other island users, including military and civilian employees
Respond to requests for data from the US Navy or other island users
Ensure safety of all crew members, including compliance with Navy practices associated with work on an active Naval base
Organize, train, and oversee all crew members to balance completing project needs within a biologically relevant timeframe
Assist in identifying future project sites
Train field staff in data entry and management
Manage a geodatabase and create biologically relevant maps as needed
Write reports and prepare maps and figures for quarterly and annual reports
Incorporate comments from senior staff and US Navy
Attend project kickoff meetings, site visits, SCI leads meetings, etc.
Maintain vehicles, field equipment, and greenhouse and nursery areas, as well as computers, GPS units, and other office equipment
Purchase and coordinate shipment of equipment and supplies
Monitor rare plant populations
Monitor vegetation cover
Install, maintain, and monitor native species outplantings
Remove/control non-native plant species manually, mechanically, and chemically
Collect native plant propagules
Propagate native plants
Use GPS in the field and GIS software
Other Duties and Responsibilities as assigned